I think it's safe to assume that a positive announcement is imminent, even if we don't know for sure the exact timing (sneaky GTM hobbitsess!!)

That being the case, I just wanted to say that the manner in which GTM has opened up the first real public discourse on the project is, in a word, perfect.

We've all been so frustrated by the incessant hurdles, many of which still no doubt remain, and the constant niggling doubts that this dream for so many will never get off the ground. Add to that the nervousness evoked by putting this project in unproven hands (wrt to Lord of the Rings, that is) and you get, well frankly, a lot of pretty frazzled hearts and minds. Objectively, it is obvious that Guillermo is uniquely suited to taking the reigns from PJ in this particular sense. He is an established artiste in his own right with a vision that appears compatible with PJ's, and we know his commitment to his craft and his projects defines him as a director of the ilk of Peter Jackson. But we haven't really had any indication of his mindset coming into this project other than a few optimistic words - and certainly no action as of yet.

We know it will be gorgeous, we know it will be accomplished and intelligent, we know that he can nurture incredible performances from actors and writes with images more than words much as PJ so effectively does. But does he have the passion that catalysed PJ's effort? Lest we forget that the LotR whole is far greater than the sum of its parts; a direct consequence of the atmosphere and spirit that pervaded all aspects of the project, which, though not limited to PJ (the exact opposite in fact), certainly required his catalytic passion to spark.

This riddle, trivial as it is in the grand scheme of all that is yet to come out about these movies, is the first glorious sign of the man's hobbit-ridden head. He recently mentioned that he has been working through all the published works on Middle-Earth, which I hope that he meant literally. It would be an impressive feat in and of itself that must have left his mind completely saturated with Tolkien's mythology in a probably quite profound way. Though this may not have been the ultimate reason for his posting a riddle that both references Tolkien' own riddles and represents a cornerstone of The Hobbit's structure and themes, it absolutely shows us that his head and heart are in the right place.

Personally, more than anything else, this is the most important news for me. Guillermo, your worthiness has never been in doubt in my book... but even so it is damned wonderful to see that you're on the same page as the rest of us.